Scalable, pencil-and-paper homework with metacognitive student outcomes and minimal instructor time

Author / Creator

PERC SM21 (2021)

Conferences

PERC SM21 Poster Session 2A (2021)

Available as

Online

Summary

Homework lets students practice the problem-solving process. The focus on process, rather than final answer, is particularly important. Unfortunately, many online homework systems, and some traditi...

Homework lets students practice the problem-solving process. The focus on process, rather than final answer, is particularly important. Unfortunately, many online homework systems, and some traditional pencil-and-paper strategies, grade based on the correct answer rather than students' written thought process. This can shift student focus away from the process. We have scaled a homework structure that emphasizes the problem-solving process and metacognitive reflection. Students are required to follow a problem-solving format developed previously, which has been shown to increase student metacognition.* In our procedure, students self-grade the completeness of their homework, and instructors perform a specific spot-check to increase student accountability. The spot-check takes minimal instructor time to administer and therefore can be scaled to large courses. Additionally, this homework structure shows high student satisfaction by the end of the term.

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